With fresco fiasco, Alex Sitze brings a densely-layered, highly psychedelic indie-folk-electronic earworm that, despite its repeating mantra-like melodies, never gets boring. It's a constantly evolving tapestry of manipulated vocal samples, whimsical synthesizers and lighter-than-air guitars, supported by a gently pacing rock groove reminiscent of the Beatles' LSD phase. Some instruments (clarinet, chimes) are only present for a few bars, if not for just a single note; nobody overstays their welcome. Every element blends seamlessly into the whole, forming one gracile, luminous flow. The BandCamp page background is yellow and I must say, the music itself does indeed sound yellow, if that makes any sense.
The vocals are gentle, contemplative and effortlessly melodic, a bit like a less whiny Thom Yorke, or perhaps rather more like Sean Lennon's singing on The Claypool Lennon Delirium, but the lyrics deliver biting sarcasm. I particularly like the opening stanza:
It seems nothing is normal these days
Then again, has normal ever really stayed the same?
Cause I’m pretty f***ing certain that it’s always been subject to change
Sounds like the kind of questions that pop up while under the influence of certain mushrooms and herbs. In fact the overall mood of the piece exists in a state of quantum superposition between euphoria and sadness, which is very much to this reviewer's taste.
A lot of talent and careful consideration clearly was distilled into this track. Do give it a listen!
